Perales wins first step in re-election bid

Will face off against Democrat Kim McCarthy

By Scott Halasz - shalasz@aimmediamidwest.com

McCarthy

Perales

Smith

XENIA — Rick Perales easily won the primary election May 8 in his bid to keep his spot in the Ohio House.

The Republican from Beavercreek unofficially defeated Jocelyn Smith of Fairborn, 8,287 to 2,018 in the District 73 primary according to the county board of elections. He will face Democrat Kim McCarthy, who ran unopposed, in the November general election.

“The voters have spoken,” said Daniel Palmer, campaign manager for Perales. “We are thankful that the Republican voters chose Representative Perales as their nominee. It was clear to us that the voters were concerned about the issues facing the voters. Our campaign did just that and focused on their concerns.”

The Republican campaign played out more like a daytime drama than an election as an alleged relationship between the two was the focal point.

Smith alleged that in January 2015 Perales kissed and choked her while they were together in his Jeep after a meeting in a restaurant. Perales repeatedly denied they ever had any kind of physical contact but has admitted he had taken part in inappropriate texting.

Perales filed a police report with Fairborn police April 2 stating Jocelyn Smith is extorting him because of her allegations and her insistence that Perales step down from his elected position and drop out of the race. Greene County Prosecutor Stephen Haller has asked Madison County Prosecutor Stephan J. Pronai to review the evidence in the case and decide how the case will move forward because of Perales’ connection to Haller and Greene County as a former county commissioner.

McCarthy only needed one vote to earn a trip to the general election in November. She received more than 4,800 votes in what is a historically a strong Republican county.